- Improved wet grip* and longevity** compared to the MICHELIN Road 5 tyre range
- Performance improvements made possible by a new tread design, advances in raw materials and optimized tyre architecture
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As the latest in a long line of class-leading sport touring tyres, Michelin is pleased to announce the launch of its MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range, a tyre range designed to offer riders of roadsters, trail bikes, sportsbikes and GT motorcycles the optimised performance in terms of wet grip, longevity, comfort and handling.
Alongside the standard MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range, which now incorporates sizes for big trail bikes, there is also the MICHELIN Road 6 GT tyre designed for grand touring machines.
Using technologies developed by engineers in Michelin’s R&D centres, the new MICHELIN Road 6 tyre offers a 15 percent improvement in wet grip* and a 10 percent increase in tyre life** compared with its predecessor, the MICHELIN Road 5 tyre.
These improvements in performance have been made possible by a new tread design, advances in raw materials and an optimized tyre architecture.
Tread Design:
- An optimized void ratio of 14 percent (the ratio of grooves to rubber), which gives high levels of grip performance in wet and dry conditions. This ratio does not change when cornering to give consistent feedback.
- MICHELIN Water EverGrip technology – a patented sipe technology developed by Michelin to give high levels of wet grip and rider confidence in these conditions. The design of these sipes mean that they open as the tyre wears.
- New groove and sipe angles, with longer edges to cut through the film of water and grip the road surface.
Raw Materials:
- A 100 percent silica compound featuring MICHELIN Silica Technology improves grip in cooler conditions and on damp and wet roads, without any compromise on tyre life.
- MICHELIN 2CT+ (2 Compound Technology) front and rear means that different parts of the tread are optimized for different performance characteristics. The harder under layer of tread rubber maintains rigidity during cornering, whereas the softer upper layer in contact with the road offers very good grip and high mileage in dry and wet conditions.
Architecture:
- MICHELIN Radial X Evo technology – the 90-degree plies on the crown of the tyre ensure a wide footprint giving high grip levels, both in a straight line and at lean angles. The sidewalls of the new generation of Radial X Evo tyres use a special ply fold that provides even more flexibility and greater comfort by absorbing road deformations, and at high speeds the tyre remains stable, making it well-suited to high-powered motorcycles. The overall effect of this technology is that the handling and responsiveness of the tyre are optimized to provide riding pleasure and fun without compromising on safety.
- MICHELIN Aramid Shield technology is a highly dense, more rigid tyre casing, which helps give excellent feedback and handling. Aramid tread plies resist centrifugal growth at speed, reduce weight and provide excellent stability.
Another Michelin first
Bearing in mind the pride that most riders have in the appearance of their motorcycles, a first for a MICHELIN Road tyre range is the use of MICHELIN Premium Touch Design in the design of the sidewalls of the MICHELIN Road 6 tyres. This exclusive technology uses micro geometry on the sidewalls to create texture, which in-turn allows it to modulate contrast and create shades of grey to highlight the tyre markings and give an attractive finish.
Available in dealers from 1 January 2022, the new MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range comprises six front and eight rear sizes, while the MICHELIN Road 6 GT tyre range is available in one front and three rear sizes. This range provides fitments for everything from small roadsters such as the KTM 390, through sports bikes and trail bikes, up to GT machines such as the BMW K1600 GT/GTL.
MICHELIN Road Tyre History
The MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range follows in the footsteps of a long line of Michelin firsts in its Road tyre ranges:
2002 MICHELIN Pilot Road – the first Road tyre range
2007 MICHELIN Pilot Road 2 – the first Road tyre range featuring sipes
2014 MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 – the first Road tyre range with a dedicated GT version
2018 MICHELIN Road 5 – the first Road tyre range using 3D sipe technology
*In-house comparisons of the MICHELIN Road 6 and MICHELIN Road 5 ranges conducted at Fontange track:
07 & 08/07/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a Suzuki 1250S Bandit and a Triumph Street Triple S 765.
15/03/2021 & 21/05/2021: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a Suzuki 1250S Bandit.
17/01/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17 (GT version), on a BMW R1200RT.
17/09/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 160/60 ZR 17, on a Kawasaki ER6n.
17/01/2020: 110/80 ZR 19 & 150/70 ZR 17, on a BMW R1200GS.
**Comparison of the MICHELIN Road 6 and MICHELIN Road 5 ranges, according to an independent test on public roads by DEKRA Narbonne:
20/07/2020 to 07/08/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a BMW K1300R.
17/08/2020 to 14/10/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17 (GT version), on a BMW R1250RT loaded, but without top-case.
28/09/2020 to 12/11/2020, dimensions: 120/70 ZR 17 & 160/60 ZR 17, on a Suzuki Gladius 650.
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 123,600 employees and operates 71 tyre production facilities which together produced around 170 million tyres in 2020. (www.michelin.com)